As the group walked, Harvard would be able to regain feeling in his legs, letting him shake it a bit to ensure he'd let them get used to the terrain. As they made their way, however, they'd start to notice small changes in Calibren. Most specifically being of streamers, balloons, and aircrafts with colored smoke spraying across the sky, painting the above with skywrites. "There's a festival going on there?" Harvard asked.
"Waow, Waow! Yep! It's an anniversary for our heroes in there! The Seven Wonders!" Tsukiya would pip, skipping across the rocky trail as they'd get closer.
"Seven Wonders...?"
"They're like a subsection of our Guards! All of them act as security towards Calibren, a defense from inside and out! My favorite's the rabbit, waow..." As she said this, her mouth began to salivate a bit, showing her hidden hunger when emphasizing such a person.
"Did you ate the fish beforehand or...?"
"Nope! Skipped it!" Concern rose immediately as Tsukiya blatantly admitted such fasting, with Adel quickly trying to see if there was any food nearby, but the Kitsune merely rose and waved her hands to stop. "Relax! Relaaaax! I'm kidding! Waow, you guys don't like it when a girl does a joke like that, huh?"
"You don't just say you willingly starve yourself and go back on it by saying it's 'a Joke.'" Envy asserted, being quick on his judgement as he'd take what Adel stopped and passed it towards the Kitsune, forcing her to chow down. "This isn't poisoned, right?" Adel merely shrugged, prompting Harvard to cast a Potion in case it was, passing it to the Living Tar in case. As the group kept moving, a shudder was heard amongst the shrubbery. The children stopped in their tracks, curiosity taking over their minds, quickly investigating the sound. The Adults tried to intervene, but a quick raise of Solomon's hand acted as a signal that it could be an intruder. A pair of red dots glint across the darkness, prompting Harvard to be pushed into and see them closer. As he sticks his head into the shrubs, trying to make out who was hidden in it, he could hear something.
A Giggle.
"...Hi?" Harvard asked, watching the dots shrink, a pearly white smile visible, as a girl would jump out and tackle the Card Magician.
"DAR~LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!!!" She'd squeal, squeezing her arms around Harvard's neck, almost choking the poor boy, as he'd roll across the ground and try to get some air, prompting his friends to try and pull her away. She was kicking and screaming, but not in the sense of fear or sadness, rather of oblivious excitement. Pecks and kisses across his face, gripping his head like a vice, desperately trying to hold him as much as she reasonably could. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~~!! MY DARLING! MY DARLING!! I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE MY HERO AGAIN FOR SO LONG!!! HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPYYYY!!!" Her joy and sweetness was being noxious, with everyone being confused what she was talking about. As the boy would get his breath back, he'd be shocked to see who it was. A young girl around his age, a simple frill dress, Victorian in decor. Red frills to match her black fabric, she also possesses red gloves and big boots. An umbrella was above her, giving her shade away from the sun, blood red with small apples as its pattern. The most prevalent thing he'd notice was that her smile had fangs.
A Vampire.
"Applin??!"
"You remembered my name!! Yeah, yeah! Back in Stoken! When you saved me in the Hospital! Oh, how I missed my hero so MUCH!!" She'd try to lunge at the child again, but was quickly moved over by his friends, keeping such a distance over.
"IS SHE NUTS!?" Solomon sneered, but Harvard was able to crawl his way over to Applin, looking head to toe, amazed that she was able to be so lively after what he saw her before.
"Nah, she's telling the truth! What are you doing all the way out here for?" Harvard asked, prompting the Little Vampire to move the boys away, dusting off any debris from her dress.
"My friend is going to the big party in Calibren! I thought we'd NEVER be able to celebrate it when my heart was being weird, but that was before you came in!" Her joy was encapsulated as she'd pull out a small pocket from the Umbrella, showing the Doll he gave her. "I still kept her even after all this time. Mommy told me you gave me an Angel in that hospital. Thank you... thank you truly... my Darling~♡."
"I told you, didn't I? I'm a Soon-to-be Hero! Ain't letting anyone else suffering on my watch! Though ah... can we at least start as friends first before the whole 'romance' thingy? Feels a bit fast..."
"Oh! Oh yeah, for sure!" Applin would be quick in putting away the Doll and helping Harvard up, using her Umbrella to act as a cane for him, shutting it, the gleam from her coating being present, as she'd accompany them. "As for the rest of you, since you're friends of my Darling, I'll help you guys out with ANYTHING you need!"
"Could this anything be to leave us?" Solomon asked.
"HAH! No."
"Worth a shot." With that, the folks would follow along with the little Vampire, as Solomon would peer over to the others. "Something's DEFINITELY off with her. Is it just me on this or...?" A whisper, just enough for the others to listen as they'd watch Applin lean over to Harvard's shoulder, cooing as she nuzzled at his arm.
"Yeah... Buuuuut it's a new ally! She doesn't seem to want any problems, either." Zazel would comment.
"Yeah, the last time we thought someone was nice, it glassed a whole Kingdom. Keep an eye on her at the very least. I want Harvard to at least be safe if he's alone with her."
"Gotcha." A thumbs up from the Demon, as they entered through the steel gateway of the shining city before them.